Chain cutter mortise cutting machine



July 6, 1954 R J, LE uc 2,682,898-

CHAIN CUTTER MORTISE CUTTING MACHINE Filed July 7, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet lRP 116 I I l I l I I July 6, 1954 Filed July 7, 1952 R. J. LE DUC CHAINCUTTER MORTISE CUTTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BYJYZ Xaaa Patented July6, 1954 CHAIN CUTTER MORTI SE CUTTING MACHINE 7 Richard J. Le Duc,Bridgewater, Mass.

' Application July 7, 1952, Serial No. 297,456

1 Claim. 01. 144-42) This invention relates to a mortise or slot cuttingmachine, especially of the chain mortising type. V

One object of my invention is to provide such a machine whereby anendless chain with cutting edges can mortise-cut different articles orpieces of work, whether long or short, and moved either from front torear or from side to side of the machine. 1 7

Another object is to provide such a machine whereby the cuttingmechanism may be moved upwardly, away from the work, or downwardly intocontact with the work.

A further object is to provide such a machine with upright posts spacedapart on which a carrier for the movable cutting mechanism is movablymounted, so as to provide space for articles to be worked upon in alldirections from the cutter.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of theinvention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction,combination and operative arrangement of parts such as is disclosed bythe drawings. The nature of the invention is such as to render itsusceptible to various changes and modifications, and therefore, I amnot to be limited to the construction disclosed by the drawings nor tothe particular parts described in the specification; but am entitled toall such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of my claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of my cutting machine.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of said machine.

As illustrated, my cutting machine has supporting means, including abase l0 and an adjustable work support having a lower carriage l2 thatcan be slidably moved forwardly and rearwardly on said base In by ascrew M. The latter extends through a bracket l6 attached to said base[0 and screw-threadedly connected to screw threads l8 opposite a hole insaid lower carriage l2. Supported by the latter is an upper carriage 20that moves sidewise by rotation of a well known travel shaft 22 movablyextending through a support 24 attached to said lower carriage I2 andactuated by a handle 26. This shaft 22 has a rack pinion 28 fastened toit which meshes with a rack 36 attached to the under side of said uppercarriage 20.

A rear guide 3'2 extends upwardly from said upper carriage 2B in whichis movably mounted, at one side, a stop guide 34 held by a thumb screw 236. At the opposite side is a side rod 38 held by a screw 40 and onwhich a block 42 is slidably mounted and adjustably held by a screw 44.A spring arm 46 is attached to said block 4'2, by screws 48, and extendsforwardly thereof.

At the'front of said upper carriage 26 is a supporting portion 50 withwhich a screw 52 screwthreadedly connects and extends beyond and isattached to a clamping plate 54. Said screw 52 is actuated by a knob 55.I

As shown, the article A to be worked upon rests on a wood block 53supported by said carriage 26.

In order to freely move a cutting device up and down, I provide carriermeans, later described, movably-mountedon two upright members or posts56, spaced laterally apart a substantial distance. These posts have awidened pedestal portion 58 or bottom resting on said base In and aseparate upper rim with collar 66 at the top. Coil springs 62 movablyfit over said posts 56 and collar 60, being compressible when pressureis applied downwardly to said carrier means. These springs bear againstsaid pedestal portion 58 and said upper rim 6|] and normally maintainsaid carrier means in predetermined position.

Said carrier means includes a carrier plate 63 which has holes 64therein, through which said posts 56 extend, said plate 63 extendingbetween and being freely slidable on these posts.

A cutting device is supported by said carrier means, having actuatingmeans, as shown, in the form of an electric motor M attached to saidcarrier plate 63 by screws 66. A shaft 61 is rotated by said motor, onthe front of which shaft a driving sprocket 68 is mounted and held by acollar 69 attached by a set screw 16'. An endless cutting chain 12,having a plurality of cutting members with cutting edges, is rotatablymounted on said sprocket 68. There is a guide bar 16 for said chain 12,having a slot 18 extending therethrough. A screw extends through saidslot 18 and attaches said guide bar 16 to a bracket 82 that is attachedto said carrier plate 63 by screws 84.

Said cutting chain 12 is forward of said upright posts 56 and alsospaced laterally from each, whereby ample space is provided rearwardlyof said chain 12 and between said posts 56 for articles to be fed to mymachine and mortised or otherwise worked upon. Where relatively longarticles are to be slotted laterally, such as fence posts, for instance,this arrangement of a cutting device movable downwardly into contactwith an elongate article which extends rearwardly and forwardly of themachine, is advantageous.

Adjacent one of said posts 56 is depth control means including anupright rod 85 supported by said base It, and extending upwardly. A stopmember 96 is movably mounted thereon by means of a screw 88. This stopmember 86 is in the path of said carrier plate 63, consequently thelatter cannot pass below it, so wherever the stop member is set on saiddepth rod 85 can determine the depth of the cut into the article beingmortised.

At opposite sides of said chain Z2 are breaker rods 99 and 9| whichadjustably extend through a tie member 92 and are held thereto by screws94. These rods slidably extend through guide blocks 98 which receivebushings I02 through which the rods also slide.

On said breaker rod 99 is a holder I94 held thereto by a screw I95having a slot I96 extending diagonally therethrough between oppositesides, through which a chip breaker 11 extends, being adjustably held bya screw I08. This chip breaker I01 is usually made of hard wood andbears on the article being worked upon.

A deflector H0 is attached by bolts H2 to said motor M, and has a coverH4 attached thereto by screws H6.

To operate my machine said carrier means is moved downwardly until thecutting device is in contact with the work or article to be mortised orslotted. This may be accomplished manually, or by simple mechanism suchas a foot treadle H8, for instance, pivotally mounted as at I20 in abearing I22 attached to a floor. A rod I24 extends from said treadle H8to said carrier 4 plate 63, being attached to both. Rotation of saidmotor shaft rotates said cutting chain 12.

What I claim is:

A cutting machine comprising supporting means embodying an adjustablework support, a cutting device embodying a motor, a carrier platesupporting said device, two upright posts spaced apart and supported bysaid supporting means, and coil springs movably mounted on said postsnormally supporting said carrier plate, said plate having two holestherethrough and through which said posts extend so that said plate ismovable upwardly and downwardly on said posts, said cutting deviceembodying a cutting chain spaced laterally from and being intermediatesaid posts, said motor being so positioned that a plane through thelongitudinal axes of said posts extends approximately midway between theends of said motor whereby the cutting chain is sufliciently forward ofsaid posts to provide space for the said work support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,449,083 Billingsley Mar. 20, 1923 1,683,763 De Walt Sept.11, 1928 2,629,411 Jones Feb. 24, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryDate 8,441 Great Britain Apr. 12, 1904 322,333 Great Britain Dec. 5,1929 251,195 Switzerland July 16, 1948 942,560 France Sept. 20, 1948

